Everything Known About Noor Zahi Salman, The Wife Of Orlando Terrorist Omar Mateen

5,834 views

A woman of Palestinian heritage, who did not adhere to Islamist dress codes for women, allegedly helped buy ammo and case Pulse nightclub days before the attack.

The mysterious second wife of Orlando terrorist Omar Mateen drove with him to pick up ammunition and a holster, NBC News reports, citing law enforcement. Noor Zahi Salman also reportedly drove Mateen to Pulse to case the gay nightclub before he killed 49 people on Sunday night.

Salman, 30, has not made any public statements about her husband. She left her home Port St. Lucie after midnight on Tuesday, escorted by friends and dressed in a gray sweatshirt, WSVN reported. Salman lowered her head and did not comment to the media.

Salman lived with Mateen at his home on the Atlantic coast. News reports suggest the couple has been together since 2013. She scrubbed her social media presence after Mateen’s attack, but one existing photo of her shows her smiling with Mateen, their 3-year-old son between them.

Public records show Salman was a student at the now-defunct Heald College-Concord. Facebook accounts for her relatives show they are Palestinian. Salman and her sisters did not wear the hijab, according to posts, in contrast to ISIS’s requirements for women. Mateen’s ex-wife has stated that Mateen was not very religious when they were married.

While Salman’s the family posted about Israel’s 2014 war in Gaza, they don’t appear otherwise political or ideological. Mateen, however, pledged allegiance to ISIS in a 911 call placed during the attack.

NBC News cited sources in law enforcement who said Salman is cooperating with the Federal Bureau of Investigation. She is reported to have allegedly admitted to driving him to Pulse, and knowing bought ammunition on June 9, two days before the attack.

Wives have been known to help terrorists in the past. Most recently, Syed Farook’s wife, Tashfeen Malik joined him in a police chase after he killed 14 people at a community center in San Bernardino.

Salman allegedly tried to dissuade him from attacking the club, NBC News reports, citing officials. She has not yet been charged in relation to the attack, but NBC News and ABC News report authorities are considering charges.

It’s not clear how the couple met, but before moving to Florida, Salman lived for about ten years in Rodeo, California. Neighbors told The Mercury News that she had three sisters, and only returned home when her father died.

“Her mother would always complain that the husband did not let her visit the family,” neighbor Sarwan Kaur said.

The description of Mateen as a controlling husband match what his first wife, Sitora Yusufiy, has told the media. Mateen was physically and emotionally abusive during their brief 2009-2011 marriage, she said, adding he tried to cut her off from her family in New Jersey. Yusufiy said her parents eventually came down to Florida and rescued her from Mateen.

Mateen’s father, Seddique Mir Mateen, told the media on Tuesday that Salman would not be giving interview. A “family apology” is coming soon, the father said.

On Monday, patrons of Pulse and former classmates of Mateen’s speculated he was a closeted gay man. Pulse patrons said they had seen him at the club, occasionally being belligerent. The gay dating app Jack’d said Tuesday that it cannot confirm or deny an alleged profile for Mateen at this time after a user said Mateen asked him on the app what gay clubs to go to. A former classmate said Mateen asked him out “romantically once.” Finally, Mateen’s ex wife Yusufiy paused and said, “I don’t know” when asked on CNN if he was gay.

About the Author

Syed Ammar Alavi - is Lahore (Pakistan) based journalist & writer with 25-year experience in print, wire and broadcast forms of journalism. His major fields of interest are politics, film,tv,sports, climate change and technology